I'm in the middle of putting together my first ever screenplay. It's not really to be produced (although that would be nice)... more just as a writing exercise. As has often been noted, screenwriting is not novel writing, and I'd quite like to turn my hand to both. They are very different, as I'm finding when adapting my own novel!
So I thought I'd start a thread to raise some issues (maybe problems, maybe just observations) about the embryonic script, and to get advice on how to address them.
So far, the main issues are:
- There are a lot of characters. As it's a quest story of sorts, the main characters encounter lots of random people, who often say no more than a line or two (before dying horribly).
- There are a lot of locations. Again, the quest structure sort of requires this.
- I can see both these points being a barrier to getting the thing made ever... it probably rules out indies, for a start.
- There are two parallel stories (the quest is for a family to reunite), but it's difficult to give both stories sufficient screen time.
- Cuts. So many of the familiar, favourite bits of the novel have to removed or reduced, and characters merged.
I guess ultimately it's never going to be a producable screenplay, but I'd welcome any advice on how best to get it to that standard.
So I thought I'd start a thread to raise some issues (maybe problems, maybe just observations) about the embryonic script, and to get advice on how to address them.
So far, the main issues are:
- There are a lot of characters. As it's a quest story of sorts, the main characters encounter lots of random people, who often say no more than a line or two (before dying horribly).
- There are a lot of locations. Again, the quest structure sort of requires this.
- I can see both these points being a barrier to getting the thing made ever... it probably rules out indies, for a start.
- There are two parallel stories (the quest is for a family to reunite), but it's difficult to give both stories sufficient screen time.
- Cuts. So many of the familiar, favourite bits of the novel have to removed or reduced, and characters merged.
I guess ultimately it's never going to be a producable screenplay, but I'd welcome any advice on how best to get it to that standard.